Grant Newton Media

Through gloving, Hudson Bolter channels creativity and discipline to help him connect with others and continually push his own limits.

Of all the phenomena that 2025 TikTok harnessed, junior Hudson Bolter gravitated towards one subculture specifically: gloving. 

“The world we live in is a cold and brutal place,” Hudson said, “so I had to find the light inside my heart to start gloving. It’s like an escape for me, and it’s also like a way of life. I don’t think—I just glove.”

Gloving, a form of expressive dance using LED lights on fingertips to accentuate captivating patterns, has a core of both performance and meditation for Hudson. After gloving started to gain traction online this fall, he made the decision to try his hand at it for himself—both figuratively and literally. By picking up such hypnotic fusions of self-expression, what started as a simple, superficial way to keep himself occupied quickly grew into something much more intricate and nuanced. 

“[My personal gloving style] is really technical and has a lot of really hard-to-do moves,” Hudson said. “It’s really flashy. I come up with my own moves, but I also mix them with videos I’ll watch. I’ll think, ‘Wow, that was a sick move. But how can I incorporate that into my own set?’”

Through this technical precision, he has fostered the discipline to transform gloving from a pastime into a legitimate art form. Built upon continuous observation, refinement, and impulse, he finds that each motion becomes a conscious act of self-definition. 

“I would say that it definitely helps you learn about yourself,” Hudson said. “You’re tapping into something that’s below the surface level. When you actually start gloving, it’s like it’s coming out of your heart and your soul. A lot of the time, people don’t really interact with their souls. You can learn more about people’s inner demons. It helps you to get to know someone better and realize that life is what’s in your heart, not your mind.”

A means of channeling both personal and communal expression, gloving has cultivated within him a profound dialogue between internal reflection and external performance, one that, since he began, has reaped him benefits outside of just the hobby itself. 

“It’s less of a trend and more of a movement,” Hudson said. “Art has always been a passion of mine. Creativity and self-expression help to make gloving art. Like, someone might say, ‘What’s the point of a painting?’ But it’s art, so it’s awesome; it helps your work ethic, and it’s how you become stronger and better.”

For him, his approach to gloving revolves just as much around art as it does around being a motivator to refine his craft. Driven to improve and by an intrinsic desire to push his boundaries, his pursuit of mastery reflects his larger philosophy of persistence regardless of circumstance. 

“[Gloving] brings out the competitive nature in me,” Hudson said. “I’m always trying to outcompete myself and the gloving community. Going pro would be a big dream of mine. I’d love to win the International Gloving Championship, though I might not get there because it’s really competitive. Obviously, everyone wants to be there.”

Beyond personal achievement, he views gloving as a reflection of a broader human experience, one in which there exists a narrative of both creativity and focus. He is reminded that, through his art, even the smallest acts of effort and consistency will ultimately lead to moments of clarity. 

“My best piece of advice is to practice as hard as you can,” Hudson said. “If you’re not naturally talented, you have to lock in, go all out, and believe in yourself. I think that different ways of expressing yourself are really important, especially the deepest, darkest places of your heart and soul. I always just glove it out.”